#96: 72 Hours Without Your Phone... Could you Handle It?

#96: 72 Hours Without Your Phone... Could you Handle It?

From No Fixed Agenda Podcast by JEFF STONER

February 16, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode explores the challenges and implications of going 72 hours without a phone.

In this week’s Random Thoughts episode, we ask a simple question… Could you go 72 hours without your phone? Spoiler: it’s harder than it sounds. We dive into how deeply ingrained our tech habits have become—from morning scrolling before we’re fully awake to late-night doomscrolling that wrecks our sleep. Bliss shares how he uses a “brick” device and app blockers to shut down social and entertainment apps until 9:30 a.m., forcing intentional use instead of unconscious scrolling. We also unpack: Shocking weekly screen-time reports How blue light disrupts sleep and recovery GPS dependence vs. the old-school road atlas & MapQuest days Why vacations (especially overseas) feel more peaceful without constant connectivity What would actually happen if an entire city lost phone access for 72 hours? Calm? Chaos? Both? The conversation turns bigger as we explore algorithmic manipulation, targeted ads, and the reality that your attention is the most valuable commodity in the world today. We recommend watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix if you haven’t already—it’s eye-opening. We also talk about emerging tech like Meta Quest and where AI integrations could take us next. Could you do a…

People in this episode

Host: JEFF STONER

Topics covered

  • technology habits
  • screen time
  • digital detox
  • mental health
  • algorithmic manipulation
  • AI integrations

Keywords

  • phone detox
  • screen time
  • digital habits
  • mental health
  • social media
  • AI
  • technology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Meta Quest

Books & works: The Social Dilemma

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